Kathleen Fisher

Professor Emerita of Biology
Department of Biology
Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education

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Bio

Kathleen M. Fisher is Professor Emeritus of Biology at San Diego State University and a former Director of the Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education.

Dr. Fisher has a B.S. in science from Rutgers University and a Ph.D. in genetics from the University of California— Davis. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship with the Atomic Energy Commission in 1970 and had a Fulbright Scholarship to work with a science university in Malaysia (Universiti Sains) in 1980.

Fisher started working in biology education research in the early 70s, when she produced a televised two-semester genetics course in a novel video-autotutorial format. The televised course was used to teach about 7,000 students over a seven-year period, and was followed by a televised course in scientific writing. Fisher later collaborated with the Science Media Group at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, where she participated in several video series, including the Private Universe and Minds of Our Own programs.

Fisher taught a capstone inquiry-based biology course for prospective teachers for more than ten years. The lessons that she developed as a resource for practicing teachers and home schooling parents, won recognition from the Encyclopedia Britannica, the Pacific Bell Knowledge Network, and the British Schoolzone. (These lessons are no longer available on the Internet.)

Fisher and the SemNet Research Group designed and developed the SemNet TM knowledge construction tool (1983–87). The computer-based idea networks serve as a mirror of the students' thinking, encouraging reflection and refinement of their ideas. SemNet evolved into the Semantica Software Series of tools for knowledge capture, organization, and transfer (now Semantic AI), which is of considerable interest to the intelligence communities.

Fisher has served on Editorial and Executive Boards for several science education organizations.

Publications

BOOKS AND BOOK CHAPTERS

Reform in Undergraduate Science Teaching for the 21st Century
Chapter 5 : The Importance of Prior Knowledge in College Science Instruction

Dennis W. Sunal, University of Alabama; Emmett L. Wright, Kansas State University; and Jeanelle Bland, Eastern Connecticut State University, Eds., Information Age Publishing Inc., ISBN 1-930608-84-5 Soft cover (2004).

Fisher, K. M. (in press). Lessons from research: The importance of prior knowledge. In D. Sunal (Ed.), Research in science education: Reform in undergraduate science teaching for the 21st century. Greenwich, CT: Information Age.

Fisher, K. M. (2003). Prediction: A profound paradigm shift. In J. Park (Ed.) & S. Hunting (Technical Ed.), Topic maps: Creating and using topic maps for the web. Boston: Addison-Wesley.

Fisher, K. M., Wandersee, J. H., & Moody, D. (2000). Mapping biology knowledge. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Kluwer.

Fisher, K. M. (2000). Inquiry teaching in biology. In Minstrell J. & van Zee, E. H., Eds., Inquiring into Inquiry learning and teaching in science. Washington, D. C.: American Association for the Advancement of Science, pp. 258-280.

Fisher, K. M. (2000). SemNet® software as an assessment tool. In Mintzes, J. L., Wandersee, J. H., & Novak, J. D., Ed., Assessing science understanding: A human constructivist view. San Diego: Academic Press, pp 198-223.

Fisher, K. M. & Kibby, M., Editors. (1996). Knowledge Acquisition, Organization and Use in Biology. Springer Verlag.

Faletti, J. & Fisher, K. M. (1996). The information in relations in biology or the unexamined relation is not worth having. In Fisher, K. M. & Kibby, M., Ed., Knowledge Acquisition, Organization and Use in Biology. Springer Verlag, pp. 182-205.

Gorodetsky, M. & Fisher, K. M. (1996). Generating connections and learning in biology. In Fisher, K. M. & Kibby, M., Ed., Knowledge Acquisition, Organization and Use in Biology. Springer Verlag, 135-154.

Fisher, K. M. (1992). Teaching of evolution. In Good, R. G., Trowbridge, J. E., Demastes, S. S., Wandersee, J. H., Hafner, M. S., & Cummins, C. L. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 1992 Evolution Education Conference. Louisiana: Louisiana State University, pp 103-108.

Fisher, K. M. (1991). SemNet: A tool for personal knowledge construction. In Jonassen, D. & Kommers, P., Eds., Mindtools, Springer-Verlag.

Fisher, K. M., & Lipson, J. I. (1985). Science education in other countries: Insight and issues. In J. Rutherford, M. Klein, & K. Wolff (Eds.), Science Education in Global Perspective: Lessons from Five Countries. ,Washington, D. C.: American Association for the Advancement of Science, pp 1-11.

Monroe, J., Meridith, C., & Fisher, K. M. (1977). The science of scientific writing. Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt.

Fisher, K. M., & Lipson, J. I. (1983). What computers can do for the school. In Peterson, D. (Ed.), The Intelligent Schoolhouse: Reading on Computers and Learning. Reston, VA: Reston Publishing Co., a Subdivision of Prescott-Hall, pp. 59-66.

PAPERS IN JOURNALS AND ON THE WEB

Anderson, D., Fisher, K. M., & Norman, G. J. (2002). Development and evaluation of the Conceptual Inventory of Natural Selection. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39, 952-978.

Fisher, K. M., Wandersee, J. H., & Wideman, G. (February 17-22, 2000). Enhancing cognitive skills for meaningful understanding of domain specific knowledge. In the invited symposium: "Shaping the future of mathematics and science education," at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC.

Christianson, R. G. & Fisher, K. M. (1999). Comparison of student learning about diffusion and osmosis in constructivist and traditional classrooms. International Journal of Science Education,21 (6), 687-698.

Fisher, K. M. (1996). Supporting knowledge construction and reflection. Vivek: A Quarterly in Artificial Intelligence, 9 (2), 18-34.

Gorodetsky, M., Fisher, K. M., Wyman, B. (September, 1994). Generating Connections and Learning with SemNet, a Tool for Constructing Knowledge Networks, Journal of Science Education and Technology, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 137-144.

Fisher, K. M. (1990). Semantic networking: The new kid on the block. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 27 (10), 1001-1018.

Fisher, K. M., Faletti. J., Patterson, H. A., Thornton, R., Lipson, J., and Spring, C. (1990). Computer-based concept mapping: SemNet software - a tool for describing knowledge networks. Journal of College Science Teaching, 19 (6), 347-352.

Allen, B., Lipson, J. I., & Fisher, K. M. (1989). EPOSODE: Enhanced procedural orchestration through student observation and detection of errors. Machine-Mediated Learning, 1990.

Fisher, Kathleen M. (1988). The students-and-professors problem revisited. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 19 (3), 260-262.

Fisher, Kathleen M. (1988). Depression in free-word association responses at adolescence. Journal of Educational Psychology, 80 (2), 247-250.

Fisher, K. M. & Lipson, J. I. (1986). Twenty questions about student errors. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 23(9), 783-803.

Fisher, Kathleen M., Lipson, Joseph I., Hildebrand, A. C., Miguel, L., Schoenberg, N., & Porter, N. (1986). Student misconceptions and teacher assumptions in college biology. Journal of College Science Teaching, 15 (4), 276-280.

Fisher, K. M. (1985). Elaboration of cognitive knowledge of biology from childhood to adulthood. The Journal of General Psychology, 112 (4), 389-397.

Fisher, K. M. & Lipson, J. I. (1985). Information processing interpretation of errors in college science learning. Instructional Science 14, 49-74.

Lipson, J. I. & Fisher, K. M. (1985). Technologies of the future. Education & Computing, 1 (1), 11-23.

Fisher, K. M. (1985). A misconception in biology: Amino acids and translation. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 22 (1), 53-62.

Lipson, J. I. & Fisher, K. M. (1984). Technologies of the future. In J. C. M. M. Moonen & H. E. Wuite-Harmsa (Eds.), Computers and Education, 47-63. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science Publishers.

Bunderson, C. V., Baillo, B., Olson, J. B., Lipson, J. I., & Fisher, K. M. (1984). Instructional effectiveness of an intelligent videodisc in biology. Machine Mediated Learning, 1 (2), 175-215.

Lipson, Joseph I. & Fisher, K. M. (1983). Technology in the classroom: Promise or threat? Theory into Practice, 22 (4), 253-259.

Fisher, K. M., Williams, S., & Roth, J. (1981). Qualitative and quantitative differences in learning associated with frequent multiple choice testing. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 18, 449-464.

Fisher, K. M. (1979). Lecturing is a personalized system of instruction - for the lecturer. Journal of Instructional Development, 3 (1), 9-15.

Fisher, K. M. (1978). Idiosyncratic learning with TV. Journal of Personalized Instruction, 3 (3), 157-161 (invited paper).

Fisher, K. M. (1978). What's wrong with behavioral objectives? Journal of College Science Teaching, 7 (5), 297-300.

Fisher, K. M., & Minnis, D. L. (1977). Evaluating Instructional Scholarship. California Journal of Teacher Education, 4 (1), 94-105.

Fisher, K. M., Guenther, H., & MacWhinney, B., Sorenson, P., & Stewart, D. (1977). Does video-autotutorial instruction improve college science teaching? Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 14, 481-498.

Fisher, K. M. (Guest Ed.). (1977). The impetus for change (Special issue). California Journal of Teaching Education, 4 (1), 1-169.

Fisher, K. M. (1976). A-T science teaching: How effective is it? Bio-Science, 26 (11), 691-697.

Fisher, K. M. (1974). Video-autotutorial instruction, American Institute of Biological Sciences Education Review, 3, 11-13.

Fisher, K. M. (1974). Individualizing instruction with TV. Journal of College Science Teaching, 4, 27-30.

Fisher, K. M., T. F. Budinger, A. Foin, and T. E. Everhart. (1974). Spontaneous chromosome gaps in Marmosa mitis. Mutation Research 22:299-303.

Fisher, K. M. and A. Foin. (1973). Chromosome ultrastructure in Marmosa mitis. Cytobios 8:209-219.

Fan, K., K. M. Fisher, and G. Edlin. (1973). Effect of amino acid and serum deprivation on the regulation of RNA synthesis in cultured Chinese hamster ovary cells. Experimental Cell Research 82:111-118.

Fisher, K. M. and H. Bernstein. (1970). Deficiency of double mutant recombinants in crosses of phage T4. Molecular and General Genetics 106:139-150.

Bernstein, H. and K. M. Fisher. (1968). Dominance in bacteriophage T4D. Genetics 58:307-318.

Fisher, K. M. and H. Bernstein. (1965). The additivity of intervals in the rII cistron of phage T4D. Genetics 52:1127-1136.

Rossan, R.H., K. M. Fisher, R. Greenland, C. Guenther, and L. H. Schmidt. (1964). The localization of infective pre-erythrocytic forms of Plasmodium cynomolgi.Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 58:159-163.

Schmidt, L. H., R. N. Rossan, and K. M. Fisher. (1963). The activity of a repository form of 4, 6-diamino-1-(p-chloropheny1)-1,2-dihydro-2, 2-dimethyl-s-triazine against infection with Plasmodium cynomolgi. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 12: 494-503.

Fisher, K. M. and B. MacWhinney. (1978). Autotutorial instruction: A summary of the research. Audiovisual Instruction, May.